It takes a long time to understand nothing. Edward Dahlberg More Quotes by Edward Dahlberg More Quotes From Edward Dahlberg A painter can hang his pictures, but a writer can only hang himself. Edward Dahlberg painter writing Though man is the only beast that can write, he has small reason to be proud of it. When he utters something that is wise it is nothing that the river horse does not know, and most of his creations are the result of accident. Edward Dahlberg horse wise writing Herman Melville was as separated from a civilized literature as the lost Atlantis was said to have been from the great peoples of the earth. Edward Dahlberg atlantis literature earth No people require maxims so much as the American. The reason is obvious: the country is so vast, the people always going somewhere, from Oregon apple valley to boreal New England, that we do not know whether to be temperate orchards or sterile climate. Edward Dahlberg oregon apples country To write is a humiliation. Edward Dahlberg humiliation writing The earnings of a poet could be reckoned by a metaphysician rather than a bookkeeper. Edward Dahlberg poet poetry earning Look at this poet William Carlos Williams: he is primitive and native, and his roots are in raw forest and violent places; he is word-sick and place-crazy. He admires strength, but for what? Violence! This is the cult of the frontier mind. Edward Dahlberg crazy strength roots Perhaps Samuel Johnson was a great man; he was certainly a drumbling one. Edward Dahlberg johnson great-men men Man is at the nadir of his stregth when the Earth, the seas, the mountains are not in him, for without them his soul is unsourced, and he has no images by which to abide. Edward Dahlberg strength sea men Man pines to live but cannot endure the days of his life. Edward Dahlberg endure men life A man who can be entertaining for a full day will be in his grave by night-fall. Edward Dahlberg men night fall We are uneasy with an affectionate man, for we are positive he wants something of us, particularly our love. Edward Dahlberg want-something love men Who has enough credit in this world to pay for his mistakes? Edward Dahlberg credit mistake world One of the weaknesses in the cooperative is that it has never been sufficiently leavened by the imagination. This is a quick-silver faculty, and likely to be a cause of worry to any collective settlement. Edward Dahlberg imagination together worry So much of our lives is given over to the consideration of our imperfections that there is no time to improve our imaginary virtues. The truth is we only perfect our vices, and man is a worse creature when he dies than he was when he was born. Edward Dahlberg literature perfect men A strong foe is better than a weak friend. Edward Dahlberg strong weak enemy The Americans have always been food, sex, and spirit revivalists. Edward Dahlberg literature spirit sex The ancients understood the regulation of power better than the regulation of liberty. Edward Dahlberg regulation liberty literature What is most appalling in an F. Scott Fitzgerald book is that it is peopleless fiction: Fitzgerald writes about spectral, muscledsuits; dresses, hats, and sleeves which have some sort of vague, libidinous throb. These are plainly the product of sickness. Edward Dahlberg scott-fitzgerald writing book What men desire is a virgin who is a whore. Edward Dahlberg
